


The Widow, the Sister, and the Outcast

by Alexandria (heartfullofelves)



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)
Genre: F/F, Future Fic, Gen, Past F/M, Post-Canon, Sisters being sisters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-06
Updated: 2018-02-06
Packaged: 2019-03-14 12:11:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13589799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heartfullofelves/pseuds/Alexandria
Summary: Ten years later, Sigrid finds herself on a new path.





	The Widow, the Sister, and the Outcast

**Author's Note:**

  * For [octopus_fool](https://archiveofourown.org/users/octopus_fool/gifts).



> I wrote this while wearing a Tauriel top that I bought at Hobbiton just after Desolation of Smaug came out. So inspiration/motivation credit goes to my T-shirt!
> 
> Hope you enjoy :-)

Being a fisher wife suited her, for a while. She already devoted her life to her family, so it was not trouble at all to extend that devotion to include her husband. She cared for him, and he for her, and they were happy. When he died in a tragic boating accident, she grieved, for she had lost someone near and dear to her heart, and she missed the quiet stability he gave her.

On the one-year anniversary of the accident, Tilda, now quite grown up, made her sister a cup of tea and sat her down. “You need something to do,” said Tilda.

Sigrid blew on her tea. “Do I?”

“You’re bored and sad. Why don’t you go away for a while?” Tilda offered her sister a biscuit, which she took and dunked in her tea.

“Where do you think I should go, Miss Know-it-all?” asked Sigrid, raising her eyebrows.

Tilda hesitated. “Honest opinion?”

Sigrid nodded.

Tilda sipped at her own tea before replying: “I think you should go out and seek your first love.” She smiled, reminding her sister of when she was a young, innocent child in the days before the Dwarves and the dragon came to Lake-town.

Sigrid smothered a giggle. “And who, pray tell, is my first love?” She took a sip from her teacup.

“Tauriel, of course.”

Sigrid spat out her tea. She had thought she had kept that secret. Tilda did not seem to think so, however.

“I didn’t understand at the time,” Tilda explained. “But when you seemed to look for someone in particular at your wedding a few years later and seemed disappointed when you didn’t find that someone, I suspected why you’d kept wondering where Tauriel had gone after Da slew the dragon.”

“I didn’t keep wondering where she’d gone,” Sigrid protested.

“Yes, you did. You kept mentioning her, but I didn’t understand because I was asking about her all the time, too. I’m right, aren’t I?” Tilda checked.

Sigrid’s burning cheeks were probably all the answer Tilda needed, but she mumbled, “Yes,” anyway.

“There’s no shame in it, you know,” Tilda went on. “There’s nothing wrong with falling in love with a woman.”

Sigrid blushed even more. “I know that, Tilda!”

“Especially not with a beautiful Elf woman who’s skilled with a blade.”

Sigrid’s forehead hit the table as she hid her face. “Please, stop,” she groaned. “It was a childish infatuation that would never surmount to anything. Everything has changed since then. I’ve changed.”

“ _You’ve_ changed,” said Tilda, “but have your feelings?” She finally grabbed a cloth and wiped up Sigrid’s spat-out tea.

Sigrid hesitated for too long.

“Exactly! So go out and find her. Even if she doesn’t return your feelings, seeing the world and seeing her will cheer you up, won’t it?”

Sigrid nodded. Then she sighed. “Will you come with me, if I go?”

Tilda looked into her sister’s eyes. “Of course I will,” she promised. “Even if you didn’t miss me, you’d need me to read the map. You’ve no sense of direction, Sigrid.”

Sigrid chuckled. “Lead the way, then.”

* * *

A month into their journey, they ran out of food. Although they were no closer to finding Tauriel and had only narrowed their search a little, for the world was bigger than they had expected, they did not despair. They did, however, bicker over who had eaten the last of the bread.

Sigrid decided to flip a coin to determine which direction they should go in search of civilisation and a tavern of some sort. Her stomach was grumbling, to Tilda’s amusement.

They walked southwest for half a day, and found a village just as the sun was setting. Sigrid sighed as they approached the unspectacular gates, since the village seemed too small to accommodate them, but Tilda said, “Look!” and grabbed Sigrid’s arm, dragging her towards a building plainly marked “Inn”.

Inside the inn, they dropped their travel bags to the floor, sighing at the relief this gave their shoulders and backs.

“May I help you?” came a smooth and gentle voice.

Sigrid’s jaw dropped, and she froze.

Tilda gasped. “Tauriel!” she exclaimed, and ran to hug the object of their search, almost knocking her over. “What’s a captain of the Elven guard doing as a barmaid in the middle of nowhere?” she asked.

Smiling, Tauriel returned Tilda’s embrace. “It just happened. But look at you, you’ve grown up!”

“It’s been ten years since we last saw you,” said Sigrid, stepping forwards. “A lot has changed.”

Tauriel dropped her arms to her sides. “I suppose so. Mortal life is so fleeting.”

Sigrid noticed something strange in Tauriel’s tone. “You sound as if you’re speaking from experience,” she said.

Tilda stepped back, watching the awkward exchange between her sister and Tauriel.

“Kili died,” said Tauriel. “Killed by Orcs. I found his body.”

“I’m sorry.” Sigrid bowed her head. “My husband died last year, so I know some of what you feel.”

Tauriel took Sigrid’s hand and held it, staring at her with an intensity that made her blush. “I am sorry for your loss,” said Tauriel, her voice soft. “But I am glad to see you again. And you, Tilda,” she added, smiling at Tilda, who grinned back.

Since it was as quiet as a graveyard inside the inn, Tilda persuaded Tauriel to take a break and catch up with her and Sigrid.

Smiling, Tauriel agreed, but first promised to bring out some food and drinks for all of them. “You look exhausted,” she said, before going into the kitchen.

Sigrid and Tilda took a few minutes to agree on where to sit, eventually sitting down at the table furthest away from the kitchen and therefore outside of Tauriel’s hearing.

Tilda rested her elbows on the table and propped up her face with her fists. “She’s still so beautiful,” she sighed.

Sigrid smirked. “Careful. You sound like you’re the one in love with her.”

Tilda scowled, and hit Sigrid’s arm. “Nothing like that,” she said. “What I mean is, I wouldn’t mind having her for a sister-in-law.”

Now Sigrid scowled. “Don’t get any funny ideas, missy. We’ve only just found her after all these years; you’re getting ahead of yourself.”

“Sorry,” said Tilda, though she looked and sounded nowhere near apologetic. She changed the subject. “Now that we’ve found her, what are we going to do? Or what are _you_ going to do?”

Sigrid thought about it. Then she thought some more. She thought a little more after that, too. “I don’t know,” she said at last.

“Well, you could always invite her to travel with us,” suggested Tilda.

“I would be delighted,” said Tauriel, having approached with three mugs of ale, which she set down on the table.

Sigrid sent Tilda a panicked look.

“Don’t worry; I didn’t overhear your whole conversation.” Tauriel gave them both a reassuring smile, then sat down with them. “But I have been in this village long enough. If you want a travelling companion, I will come with you.”

Sigrid could not help the beam that blossomed on her face, nor the beating of her heart. “I do want it,” she said, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear and looking into Tauriel’s enchanting green eyes.

Tauriel gazed back at her. “So do I,” she replied, almost in a whisper. Her lips curled upwards at the edges.

Across the table, Tilda had pressed her hand to her heart, smiling. Then, she asked, “Should I leave you two alone?” She waggled her eyebrows.

Still looking at Tauriel, Sigrid slapped Tilda’s arm. Little sisters were more trouble than they were worth.


End file.
